Coin-controlled vending-machine



H. GILES. COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

-- APPLICATION FILED SEPT418, 1920. Y 7

Patented D00. 27, 1921;

2 Susan-sham x.

WITNESSES C I IN t 'ENT OR." 6/155; l

arromer.

.H. GILES. COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE. APPLLCATION FILED SEPTQIB. 1920.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

11 TTOHWEL lowing is a specification.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. nanv iy Grins, or-nnooxn mivxw YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 ARTEMAS warm, on NEW YORK, 11. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

lpplication filed September 18, 1920. serlallio. 411,234.

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Coin-Controlled Vendingachines, of which the fol O The invention pertains to certain improvements in the coin-controlled vending. machine made theysubject of my application for Letters Patent bearing Serial No. 372,491,

filedApril 9, 1920.

In the machine of the aforesaid applica tion the introduced coins slide downwardly to. the operative mechanism upon a downwardly and inwardly inclined plate which is hinged at its upper edge,and carries the magnets for attracting steel disks and the coin weight testers. In accordance with my present invention I retain the aforesaid downwardly inclined hinged plate over which the coins slide and provide at the upper portion thereof weight testers in appropriate relation to fingers which will eject rom the weight testers a light weight coin that may be arrested thereby on the movement of said hinged plate toward a vertical position, said position being given to said plate on each outward pull of the operating rod or handle of the mechanism. I also pro vide on said hinged plate non-magnetic cups, as aluminum, for catching any steel disks which may be arrested by the magnets and descend therefrom. V,

My invention also includes means whereby the two side frames of the operative mechanism may be so set with relation to each other as to permit said hinged plate tohave a proper swinging movement. It has-been found in the practical construction of the machine that thetwo side frames or'plates sometimes so pinch the ends of the hinged plate as to interfere with the proper swinging movement of said plate, and hence I provide means whereby said side frames or plates may be so set with relation to the ends of the hinged plate as to allow said hinged plate. free swinging movement, as required. My present invention, therefore, relates to the aforesaid hinged coin-plate and means cooperating therewith and to means for assuring the proper freedom of movement in said plate, the purpose of the invention being to increase the efficiency of the aforesaid vending machine, made the subject of my said application.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to, the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section, partly broken away, through a coin-controlled vending machine of thecharacter disclosed in my aforesaid application and illustrating the details of the present invention applied thereto, the parts of the mechanism being shown in their normal position;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the hinged coin-plate down which the introduced coins slide to the operative mechanism of the machine: a

Fig. ,3 is a front face view of the said hiiliged plate;

1g. 4 is a vertical section, partly broken away, through a portion of the same, showing the hinged coin-plate as having been turned outwardly on the operation of the machine, this being the opposite position from that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view, taken on the dotted line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and illustrating' the hinged coin-plate in its normal position; v Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the aluminum cups Iattach to the hinged coin-plate for receiving steel disks from the magnets;

Fig.-7 is a detached perspective view of a stationary bar supporting ejector fingers which stand in the path of certam openings in the hinged coin-plate for dislodgmg arrested light weight or other pieces which may be arrested by the coin weight testers,

and

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation, on a reduced scale and partly broken away, showing the two sides of the supporting frame for the operative mechanism and the adjustment rod connecting said sides and by means of which the relation of said sides to the ends of the hinged coin-plate may be regulated.

In the drawings, 10 designates a usual type of coin-controlled vendlng machine casing, 11.. a coin-slot. plate hav1ng a co1nslot 12 'for the introduction of the coins to the machine,- 13 a vertical tray for holding stacks of pieces 14: of confections to be sold,

.the operative mechanism, 18 an operating handle on the outward pull of which the coin 16 is moved against and dislodges the lower piece of confection from the aforesaid tray and which handle is automatically returned to its inner or normal position, shown in Fig. 1, by a coiled spring 19, and 20 a coinslide plate for directing the coins 16 entered through the slot or slots 12 to the coin-carryiEng devices shown holding the coin 16 1n The general machine indicated in Fig. l is the subject of my aforesaid application for Letters Patent, and my present invention has more particularly to do with the coin-slide plate 20, means connected therewith and carried thereby, the stationary bar 21 having rearwardly projecting ejector fingers 22, and the rod 23 connecting the two sides 24 of the mechanism-carrying frame and between which, by means of screws 25, the plate 20 is hinged, said plate 20having at its upper edge side ears 26 formed integrall therewith to receive said screws 25, which act as pivots upon which the plate 20 may be swung outwardly from its normal ,position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 to the position in which said plate is shown in Fig. 4:.

- The plate 20 swings outwardly to its position shown in Fig. 4 by gravity, being held at its inner, position, shown in Fig. 5, by an arm or finger 27 carried by the operating rod or handle 18, and hence when said handle or rod 18 is pulled outwardly for ejecting the lower piece of confection 14,

, said plate 20 will swing outwardly, and when the rod or handle 18 returns inwardly to its initial position, shown in'Fig. 1, due to the action of the spring 19, said finger or arm 27, by movlng against the \lower ortion of the plate 20, will restore said p ate to its initial position, shown in Fig. 1.- I do not deem it necessary to describe in detail the mechanism for holding the coin 16 and operable to have a sliding movement rearwardly on the outward pull of the handle or rod 18 and forwardly on the rearward movement of said rod or handle, since this mechanism may vary and in addition has been fully described in my aforesaid application.

The plate 20 is preferably formed of sheet metal and inclines downwardly and in wardly and affords a chute or surface down which coins entered through the slot or slots 12 may slide to the coin-carrying mechanism or to the position indicated by the coin 16 in Fig. 1. Ordinarily the machine will be provided with at least three corresponding said slots to their operative positions adjacent to the lower pieces of confection in the respective compartments of the tray 13. The plate 20 is, as foresaid, hinged at its upper sideedges on the screws 25 and has its swinging movement between the two sides 24 of the main frame supporting the operative mechanism of the machine. The plate 20 is formed near its lower side edges with stop lugs 28, and said plate is formed with the large openings 29 and smaller openings 30, the openings 30 being vertically elongated and the openings 29 being large and preferably of general shield shape and being adapted for the passage therethrough of steel disks and other pieces which may be prevented from passing downwardly into the interior mechanism by means of magnets 31. The magnets 31 are secured to the forward face of the plate 20 and at their end portions project through said plate so as to be at the side of the path of coins which may be entered through the slots 12 and descend upon the plate 20. At the front of the plate 20 I secure thereto non-magnetic boxes 32 which I preferably make of aluminum and apply against the openings 29 in the plate 20 so that a steel disk caught at its edge by one of the magnets and rolling down or being jarredalong the end of the magnet .lower portion of the opening 29 in said plate,

and the purpose of the finger 35 is to aid in the catching of the steel disks by the boxes 32 and preventing said disks from passing downwardly to the operative mechanism of the machine. The boxes 32 may be made of aluminum which is nonmagnetic and will permit the steel disks to be readily discharged from the boxes when the coin-controlled mechanism is removed from the casing 10 and turned u side down for effecting the discharge of sais disks.

The elongated openings 30 formed in the plate 20 are in line with ejector fingers 22 projecting rearwardly from the bar 21, which is secured at its end portions by means of screws 36 between the sides 24 of the mechanism-frame. When the parts are 1n their normal position, shown in Fig. 1, the rear ends of the projecting fingers 22 he within the openings 30, and when the plate 2O swings downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4, the openings 30 are earned for wardly over the fingers 22 and at such time the fingers 22 project to the rear side of the plate 20 and will eject therefrom anything which may have been held on said plate in the path of said fingers.

On the rear face of the plate 20 adjacent to the upper portion thereof I pivotally secure on screws 37, the coin weight-testers 38 which are small tiltable plates having at one side of the screws 37 elongated arms 39 and at the other side of said screws weighted ends 40, said weighted ends tending to re-' tain the arms 39 in their normal position shown in Fig. 2 and to return said arms to such position after they may have been depressed or tilted downwardly by the passage of a coin against them. The plate 20 is provided with stops 41 to arrest the arms 39 in their normal operative position. The arms 39 at their outer ends are bent rearwardly, forming short fingers 44, which serve to broaden the ends of said arms 39 and facilitate the operation of said arms in receiving a coin orother disk which ma be entered through the coin-slots 12. The weight test- I ers 38 are employed for arresting light weight coins, such as ten cent pieces, paper disks and the like which may be fed throu h a coin-slot 12, but will yield downwar ly at their arms 39 under the weight of a proper'coin, as a one-cent piece, which may descend against the same. The arms 39, therefore, are intended to arrest light weight coins and prevent them from sliding down the plate '20, Whileat the same time said arms will yield to the weight of a proper coin and permit it to slide down said plate.

A light weight coin or paper disk arrested by one of the arms 39 will be held between said arm and the adjacent end of the magnet 31 and lie against the rear side of an opening 30 in the plate 20, and then upon the outward pull of the operating rod or handle 18 said light weight coin, disk or the like will be dislodged from its position by the movement of the opening 30 toward the front along an ejector finger 22, said light weight coin or disk thus being prevented from reachingthe coin-carriage or the coinbox and caused to descend downwardly through the front ortion of-the machine to the outlet for con ections. If the piece entered through the coin-slot 12 had been a steel disk, such piece would be retained by the magnet 31 and finally ride down the edge of said magnet and become jarred therefrom into a box 32.

It has been found in the previous conat one or both sides 24 will be adjusted so as to afford proper space between the said sides 24 for the plate 20. If the side frames 24 should normally. be spread a little too far apart'for the proper pivoting of the plate 20 by means of the screws 25, the upper portion of said side frames may be adjusted toward each other by means of the screws 45, 46 so as to establish a correct relation between said frames 24 and the ends of the plate 20.

My present invention therefore resides in the plate 20 having the weight testers 38, openings 29, 30, magnets 31 and boxes 32, the bar 21 having the ejector fingers 22 and the side frames 24 between which said plate 20 is hinged and which is equipped with the rod 23 andadjusting nuts 45, 46.

My present invention, therefore, relates to a few details incident to the machine of my aforesaid application and which I have foundin practice to be of material benefit to the said machine.

' What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

,1. In a coin-controlled vending-machine having an entrance slot for coins, mechanism operable in connection with an introduced coin for discharging a piece of merchandise, an operating handle, a hinged inclined coin-plate for directing a coin entered through said slot to operative position in said mechanism, means for normally holding said plate in operative position and permitting said plate to swing into substantially vertical position on the operation of the machine, said plate having near its upper edge magnets and weight testers at the path of the introduced coins, said weight testers each comprising a pivoted plate weighted at one end and having an arm extending into'the path of the coins and toward a magnet and adapted in cooperation with the magnet to arrest a lightweight coin, said tester being yieldable under the weight of a proper coin to permit the same to descend into the operative mechanism of the machine. I a

2. In a coin-controlled vending machine having an entrance slot for coins, mechanism operable in connection with an intro-v duced coin for discharging a piece of merchandise, an operating handle, an inclined coin-plate for directing a coin entered through said slot to the operative 'mecha nism of the machine, a magnet on said plate directly at one side of the ath of a coin down the same, and a weig t-tester at the other side of said path and having an arm extending into said path and toward said magnet and adapted in cooperation with the magnet to arrest a light-weight coin, said tester being yieldable under the weight of a proper coin to permit the same to descend into the operative mechanism of the machine.

' 3. In alcoin-controlled vending-machine having an entrance slot for coins, mechanism operable in connection with an introduced coin for discharging a piece of merchandise, an operating handle, an inclined 0 directly at one side of the chine, combined with means for dislodging a light-weight piece arrested on said weighttester.

4. In a coin-controlled vending-machlne having an entrance slot for coins, m'echanism operable in connection with an introduced coin for discharging a piece of merchandise, an operating handle, an inclined coin-plate for directmg a coin entered through said slot to the operative mechanism of the machine, a magnet on said plate directly at one side of the path of a coin down the same, and a weight-tester at the other side ofsaid path and having an arm extending into said path and toward said magnet and adapted-in cooperation with the magnet to arrest a light-weight coin, said tester being yieldable under the weight of a proper coin to permit the same to descend into the operative mechanism of the machine, said plate being hinged and adapted to swing into substantially vertical position on the operation of the machine and having an opening in it at the point where a lightweight coin may be arrested, combined with means for dislodging an arrested lightweight piece comprising a rigid bar having a finger in line with said opening and extending through said opening when said plate swings from its operative position.

5. In a coin-controlled vendlng-machine having an entrance slot for coins, mechanism operable in, connection with an introduced coin for discharging apiece of merchandise, an operating handle, an inclined coin-plate for directing a coin entered through said slot to the operative naecha-= nism of the machine, a magnet on said plate directly at one side of the down the same, and a weight-tester at the other side of said path and having an arm extending into said path and toward said magnet and adapted in coiiperation with the magnet to arrest a light-Weight coin, said tester being yieldable under the weight of a proper coin to permit the same to descend into the operative mechanism of the machine, and said plate having a box opening through it below said magnet to receive any pieces which may cling to and roll along said magnet to the entrance to said box,

6. In a coin-controlled vending-machine having an entrance slot .for coins, mechanism operable in connection with an introduced coin for discharging a piece of merchandise, an operating handle, an inclined coin-plate for directing a coin entered through said slot to the operative mechanism of the machine, a magnet on said plate directly at one side of the path of a coin down the same, and a weight-tester at the other side of said path and having an arm extending into said path and toward said magnet and adapted in cooperation with the magnet to arrest a light-Weight coin, said tester being yieldable under the weight of a proper coin to permit the same to descend into the operative mechanismof the ma chine, and said plate having a box opening through'it below said magnet to receive any pieces which may cling to and roll along said magnet to the entrance to said box, combined with means for dislodging a lightweight piece arrested on said weight-tester.

7. In a coin-controlled vending-machine having an entranceslot for coins, mechanism operable in connection with an introduced coin for discharging a piece of merchandise, an operating handle, an inclined coin-plate for directing a coin entered through said slot to the operative mechanism of the machine, a magnet on said plate directly at one side of the path of a coin down the same, and a weight-tester at the other side of said path and having an arm extending into said'path and toward said magnet and adapted in cooperation with the magnet to arrest a light-weight coin, said tester being yieldable under the weight of a proper coin to permit the same to descend into the operative mechanism of the machine, said p'late having a box opening through it below said magnet to receive any pieces which may cling to and roll along said magnet to the entrance to said box, and said plate being hinged and adapted to swing into substantially vertical position on the operation of the machine and having an opening in it at the point where a lightweight coin may be arrested, combined with means for dislodging an arrested lightpath of a coin weight piece comprising a rigid bar having a finger in line with said opening and extending through said opening when said plate swings from its operative position.

8. In a coin-controlled vending-machine having an entrance slot for coins, mechanism operable in connection with an introa proper coin to permit the same to descend into the operative mechanismof the ma chine, combined with side frames at the opposite ends of said plate, means hinging said plate at its upper side edges to and between said side frames, a rod connecting and extended through said side frames and threaded at its ends, nuts on said rod at opposite faces of each side frame'for'adjusting the relation of the side frames to the ends of-said plate, said plate being adapted to swing into substantially vertlcal position on each operation of the machine, and

means for dislodging a light-weight piece arrested on said weight-tester during the movement of said plate to its vertical position.

Signed atNew York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 16th day of September, A. D, 1920.

HARVEY GILES. 

